Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLEs) can help medical students understand stages of fetal development and better retain the information, at least in the short term, results from a randomized, controlled trial suggest.
However, the authors note a major limitation in using these devices is the potential for cybersickness and in this study almost half of the participants using the VR headsets experienced dizziness (43%) and disorientation (48%); 38% reported impaired balance.
Findings of a research team led by Grace Ryan, a medical student at the University College Dublin Perinatal Research Centre, were published online in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
Forty-one University College Dublin students completed the study after randomization either to a group that had a 15-minute VRLE learning experience on the stages of fetal development (n = 21) or to a traditional PowerPoint tutorial via Zoom on the same topic (n = 20).
Knowledge gaged with multiple-choice questions
Students’ knowledge was then assessed with multiple-choice questionnaires at three time points: before the presentations, immediately after the presentations, and a week after the intervention.
The secondary outcome was level of satisfaction and self-confidence.
Within-group differences in knowledge scores were significant among all three time points for both the intervention (P < .01; 95% confidence interval, 5.33-6.19) and control group (P = .02; 95% CI, 5.74-6.49).
But students retained the information level only in the VR group 1 week after the training.
In the VR group, knowledge scores were significantly higher after the intervention, compared with baseline. In the control group, knowledge scores were significantly higher immediately after the presentation, compared with baseline, but scores decreased nonsignificantly between the time point after the presentation, compared with 1 week after.
Mean levels of satisfaction and self-confidence in learning were higher in the VRLE group, compared with the control group: 54.2 (standard deviation, 7.5) and 50.5 (SD, 7.2), respectively, but were not significant (P = .21).
VR group went on a ‘treasure hunt’
The VR intervention involved an immersive experience that explored the stages of fetal development. The experience was designed in collaboration with the University College Dublin School of Computer Science using online tutorials and documentation from the literature.
Obstetrics and gynecology clinical professionals provided expert validation.
The VR program took the students on a “treasure hunt” for information, linking images to key learning points on fetal development. Students used controllers to select organs on the fetal images they visualized relevant to a stage of development, unlocking key information that appeared on the assessment.
Zoom vs. VR
The traditional control group had a 15-minute face-to-face teaching tutorial (via Zoom because of COVID-19 restrictions) on the information and used a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. The researchers took 15 minutes before the tutorial to explain the study and requirements for participation.
The factual content was the same for both groups and was taught by the same clinical tutor in both groups for consistency.
Aparna Srindhar, MD, of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an interview that, from the images in the VR system in this study, “It is unclear what the advantage of the VR over Zoom was. If the VR is showing texts and images very similar to the Zoom in-person teaching, then it may not produce drastically different results in short-term knowledge retention.”
At UCLA, she says, clinicians have used virtual reality in the patient care setting but not in the teaching setting; they have used smart glasses and other modalities in teaching real-time procedures.
Mastering information on fetal development can be difficult because the material is complex and includes details not visible to the naked eye, the authors note.
Regarding the cybersickness side effects, the authors write, “With increased use and the advancement of VR technology, side effect profiles are expected to decrease. Future studies should include a larger cohort to explore the use of VR further as a learning tool for medical students.”
The study authors and Dr. Sridhar report no relevant financial relationships.